William bell



W. BELL.-& A. B. LIP SEYV APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

(Nq Model.)

N. PETCRS. Phalo-Lifhqgnpher. Wasllmslun. u. C.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND ANDREW B. LIPSEY, OF WEST HOBOKEN, N. J.; SAID LIPSEY ASSIGNOR TO SAID BELL.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,175, dated July 12, 1881.

Application filed January 19, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM BELL, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, and ANDREW B.'LI1 sEY, of West Hoboken, in the county of .Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Manufacturin g Gas, of which the following is a specification.

The invention consists in the combination of a still for hydrocarbon liquid, a furnace for heating the same, a retort, a pipe for conducting hydrocarbon vapor from said still to said retort, and a steam-pipe passing through said still and communicating with said retort for supplying steam, which is superheated by passing through said still to said retort.

The invention also consists in a retort provided with transverse bridges or partitions,

which project alternately from opposite sides or walls of the retort nearly across the same, and are constructed in a novel manner, as hereinafter particularly described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of two stills for vaporizing hydrocarbon liquid, and a furnace for heating the same. Fig. 2 represents alongitudinal section thereof on the dotted line 00 as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a transverse ver- 0 tical section of two retorts through which hydrocarbon vapor is to be passed from the stills, and a furnace for heating the said retorts; and Fig. trepresents alongitudinal section through said retort and furnace on the dotted line y y,

Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

We have represented two stills for hydrocarbon liquid and two retorts, either of which 0 may be used separately or all together. The

same description applies to both.

A designates the stills, shown as consisting of cylindric vessels, similar to boilers, and set in brick-work.

B designates the grate of the furnace, from which the products of combustion pass in contact with't-he stills, and thence off through a pipe or chimney, 0.

Each still is provided with an inlet-pipe, D,

through whichis introduced a properquantity of crude petroleum or other hydrocarbon liquid or distillatethereof, and upon heat being applied to the stills the hydrocarbon liquid is (most of it) vaporized and passes off through a pipe, E. The residual products, such as tar, resulting from the distillation may be drawn out through an outlet, A, and made into Inbricating-oils or otherwise rendered marketable.

F designates a pipe which leads from any steam boiler suitably arranged, and passes back and forth through the lower part of the still, whereit will be immersed in oil, and thence out through the front thereof. By this arrangement the steam'is superheated by he ing circulated in the pipe F through the heated petroleum or other liquid.

We will now describe the retorts:

G designates two retorts, which are suitably set in brick-work over a fire-place or furnace, of which H designates the grate. The products of combustion are compelled to pass from end to end of the retorts through horizontal fiues I, and finally escape through a chimney, J. These retorts are very highly heated, and the hydrocarbon vapor from the pipe E and superheated steam from the pipe F are introduced into the retorts at the front end, passing through the same, and by the heat are converted into a permanent or fixed gas, and then pass out from the retorts at the back end through pipes K to a washer, which we will soon describe.

The retorts G might be perfectly plain and afford the steam and vapor a free and unobstructed passage through them; but they are preferably divided by partitions or bridges L, which extend alternately from opposite sides or walls of the retorts nearly across the same, as seen in Fig. 4, so that the mixture of steam 0 and vapor is compelled to pass alternately over and under said bridges or partitions. These bridges are of cast metal, separate from the retort, and are each provided with feet a, whereby they are supported on the bottom of the retort. In alternate bridges these feet project from the bottom edge of the bridge, and an openingisleft over the top of the bridge; but

in the intermediate bridges the feet project considerably below the lower edge, and the opening is thus formed under the lower edge.

1 The bridges when so constructed may be read- 5 ily replaced, and may be placed any distance apart, to offer more or less obstruction to the free passage of steam and vapor.

The pipes K from the two retorts terminate below the level of water in awash-box, M, and after rising through the water the gas passes upward through a pipe or trunk, N, and through a spray-chamber, 0, from whence it issues through an outlet, 1), at the top, and may be conducted to a gas-holder.

In the lower end of the spray-chamber O is a spraying device, 0, which fills the chamber with spray, through which all the gas must pass, thereby washing the gas and freeing it from any particles of carbon or particles of steam or vapor which are not converted into a fixed gas.

We do not here claim the combination of the spray-chamber with the washer, as it is embraced in another application.

P designates a water valve or seal, which may be moved upward to close the inlet of the spray-chamber O; and d designates a pipe which projects downward from said valve, and

through which the water produced by the spray 0 is delivered into the wash-box M. Upon the pipe cl is a rack,and the valveP may be moved by means of a shaft, e, upon which is a pinion engaging with said rack, and a hand-wheel, f, for turning.

The water in the wash-box M may be main- 3 5 tain-ed at anylevel bya discharge-pipe, g, which may be raised or lowered by raising or lowerin g its supporting-rod h by a hand-wheel, i.

We are aware that it is old to provide aretort with removable bridges extending alternately from opposite sides nearly across the retort, and therefore do not claim this as of our invention.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a still for vaporizing hydrocarbon liquid, a furnace for heating the same, a retort, a pipe for conducting hydrocarbon vapor from said still to said retort, and a pipe passing through said still and communicatin g with said retort for supplying superheated steam thereto, substantially as specified.

2. The retort Gr, provided with bridges L, having feet a resting upon the bottom of the 55 retort, alternate bridges having their feet projecting from their lower edges, and intermediate bridges having their feet projecting below their lower edges, substantially as specified.

CHANDLER HALL. 

